Renaissance Venture Capital
Renaissance Venture Capital is a Michigan-based fund-of-funds founded in 2008 that invests in U.S. venture capital funds and connects them with Michigan startups and major corporations seeking innovation through its UnDemo Day® event and Hotlist database.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersAnn Arbor, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Renaissance Venture Capital does
Renaissance Venture Capital is a privately held, SEC-registered fund-of-funds investment firm headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, founded in 2008 by Chris Rizik. The firm invests in venture capital funds across the United States and operates an integrated three-sided platform that connects those underlying VC funds with Michigan-based startups seeking capital and with major corporations seeking innovation partnerships. Renaissance structures itself as a first-of-its-kind regional fund-of-funds, with the explicit thesis that venture capital and a focus on innovation are drivers of regional economic growth in the historically underserved Midwest.
The firm's product surface is built around three core offerings. Its primary product is the Fund of Funds Investment Model, in which Renaissance commits capital to a portfolio of 28+ underlying venture capital funds spanning healthcare, information technology, advanced materials, and university technology transfer. Its flagship branded event is UnDemo Day®, an annual gathering that matches selected Michigan startups with national VC investors through curated 1:1 meetings, startup education, and networking; the 2026 edition is scheduled at The Department at Hudson's in Detroit. The third product is the Hotlist, a curated database of promising early-stage Michigan companies anticipating venture capital raises within 12-18 months, distributed to hundreds of VC firms and compiled from recommendations across universities, accelerators, angel networks, and seed funds.
Renaissance serves three primary customer segments: Michigan-based startups needing access to national venture capital, national venture capital funds seeking deal flow from the Midwest, and major corporations seeking innovation partnerships with venture-backed companies. Revenue is generated through management of the fund-of-funds structure under Renaissance Venture Capital Management, Inc., with specific fee economics not publicly disclosed. The firm is founder-controlled, led by Managing Partner Chris Rizik (2025 NVCA Venture Vanguard Award recipient) alongside partners Jeff Rinvelt, Kimberly Reno (CFO/CCO), and Christina Drake, with Chief Administrative Officer Jessica Ives and a nationally recognized Advisory Board. The firm reports that its network and investments have helped attract $3.5 billion+ in capital to Michigan and the broader Midwest, with 60+ VC funds in portfolio and 800+ active portfolio companies across the broader ecosystem.
Renaissance Venture Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Renaissance Venture Capital
- Legal name
- Renaissance Venture Capital Management, Inc.
- Website
- https://renvcf.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Renaissance Venture Capital is a Michigan-based fund-of-funds founded in 2008 that invests in U.S. venture capital funds and connects them with Michigan startups and major corporations seeking innovation through its UnDemo Day® event and Hotlist database.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Renaissance Venture Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital Fund of Funds
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds (FSANAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Emerging Manager / Seeding Platforms (Multi-Manager) (FSANAGAF)
Keywords
Where Renaissance Venture Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ann Arbor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Renaissance Venture Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fund of Funds Management: Renaissance generates revenue through management of its fund of funds structure, investing in venture capital funds around the U.S. and connecting those funds with Michigan's startup community and major companies looking for innovation.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Renaissance Venture Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Renaissance Venture Capital is a fund of funds that invests in venture capital funds across the U.S. and actively connects those funds with Michigan's startup community and major corporations seeking innovation. The firm generates returns by managing investments in underlying VC funds while operating curated programs such as UnDemo Day® and the Hotlist database to bridge startups with investors and corporate partners.
Product overview
Renaissance Venture Capital operates as a fund of funds with three interconnected core offerings: its primary investment model invests in venture capital funds nationwide while connecting them with Michigan startups and corporate partners seeking innovation; the UnDemo Day® event platform facilitates curated 1:1 meetings between startups and venture investors; and the Hotlist database provides curated access to promising early-stage Michigan companies. Together, these products form an integrated ecosystem designed to attract capital to underserved regions and foster economic growth.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- UnDemo Day®: An annual event connecting Michigan startups with venture capital investors from around the U.S., featuring curated 1:1 meetings, startup education, and networking.
- Hotlist
Quantifiable outcome
- $3.5 billion+ in capital attracted to Michigan and the broader Midwest region
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Renaissance Venture Capital
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Renaissance Venture Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Renaissance Venture Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- University of Michigan Office of Innovation PartnershipscoreChris Rizik chairs the National Advisory Board for this technology transfer, licensing and startup arm of the nation's largest public research university.
- Venture ForwardcorePartnership for Emerging Manager Office Hours (EMOH) event co-hosted with Renaissance's UnDemo Day 2026 event at The Department at Hudson's in Detroit.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Renaissance Venture Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- JumpStart Inc. Cleveland-based state-backed venture development organization that combines fund-of-funds investing with entrepreneur support in Ohio — directly mirrors Renaissance's model, which has explicitly been replicated in Ohio based on the Renaissance blueprint.
- Cintrifuse: Cincinnati-based regional venture catalyst that aggregates corporate LPs and connects them with Midwest startups — highly comparable mission of bridging capital, founders, and corporates in the undercapitalized Midwest.
- Invest Michigan: Michigan-focused state-supported initiative channeling capital into Michigan startups and VC funds — directly comparable regional fund-of-funds and capital-mobilization mission to Renaissance.
- Beringea: Michigan- and UK-based growth equity/VC firm — directly comparable Michigan/Midwest focus with a fund-of-funds-like model investing across stages and connecting regional startups to capital.
- gener8tor: Michigan-headquartered accelerator and venture fund operating nationally — comparable Midwest-anchored platform that curates startups and connects them to investors and corporates, often at UnDemo Day-adjacent events.
- Arsenal Growth Venture Partners: Michigan/Ohio-based growth-stage VC firm in Renaissance's portfolio — a Midwest-anchored venture investor with overlapping geographic mandate and thesis around regional capital formation.
Regional players
- Capital Factory: Texas-based venture platform and accelerator — Renaissance's model has been replicated in Texas, and Capital Factory plays a structurally similar role of curating startups and connecting them to investors and corporates in its region.
- TechTown Detroit: Detroit-based tech hub and startup support organization — overlapping mission of supporting Michigan/Midwest founders and connecting them to capital, partners, and corporates, though operating more as an incubator than a fund-of-funds.
Broad incumbents
- Techstars: Global accelerator and venture platform — Renaissance invests in Techstars Ventures, and Techstars operates a much larger-scale version of the same startup-curation-and-connection model Renaissance runs regionally.
Others
- Michigan Venture Capital Association: Industry association chaired historically by Renaissance Partner Jeff Rinvelt — ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but directly comparable mission of developing Michigan's VC industry.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Renaissance Venture Capital social profiles
Digital presenceRenaissance Venture Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Renaissance Venture Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Renaissance Venture Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Renaissance Venture Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments11 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Renaissance Venture Capital
What does Renaissance Venture Capital do?
Renaissance Venture Capital is a fund of funds that invests in venture capital funds across the U.S. and actively connects those funds with Michigan's startup community and major corporations seeking innovation. The firm generates returns by managing investments in underlying VC funds while operating curated programs such as UnDemo Day® and the Hotlist database to bridge startups with investors and corporate partners.
Is Renaissance Venture Capital a public or private company?
Renaissance Venture Capital is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Renaissance Venture Capital founded?
Renaissance Venture Capital was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Renaissance Venture Capital based?
Renaissance Venture Capital is headquartered in Ann Arbor, United States, in the North America region.
How does Renaissance Venture Capital make money?
One revenue line is on record: fund of Funds Management.
Who are Renaissance Venture Capital's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are JumpStart Inc., Cintrifuse, Invest Michigan, Beringea, gener8tor and Arsenal Growth Venture Partners. Regional players are Capital Factory and TechTown Detroit. Techstars is listed as a broad incumbent. Michigan Venture Capital Association is listed as an others.
Does Renaissance Venture Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for Renaissance Venture Capital.
What industry is Renaissance Venture Capital in?
Renaissance Venture Capital's product category is Venture Capital Fund of Funds. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAGAC, Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds, with a secondary code of FSANAGAF, Emerging Manager / Seeding Platforms (Multi-Manager). Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6282.